


To Tell Your Story

by Madje_Knotts



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 00:11:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7383139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madje_Knotts/pseuds/Madje_Knotts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry realizes the book isn't quite working as before. A post-finale oneshot in eleven parts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Tell Your Story

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the line in the Hamilton Soundtrack that says “You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.” The story was supposed to be a short one shot and then all the sudden it wasn’t. This is dedicated to Clare because for some reason we can’t stop hurting each other. 
> 
> This takes place about 6 months after the finale.

**To Tell Your Story**

**Part 1**

                                    “Dear Henry,

I am coming home. I miss you and Gina and my baby sister and Papa. I will see you soon.

                                    ROLAND.”

            Henry sighed as the words the six-year-old had written appeared on the page in front of him. It had been almost six month since the Merry Men had taken Roland back to the Enchanted Forest; almost six weeks since Regina had accepted and rejoined with the Evil Queen; and just a little less than that since they had defeated Hyde. In the last six months the little boy had written over twenty letters to Henry, Regina, and Baby Robyn, all of which had somehow been recorded in Henry’s books even though they had never actually been delivered to their intended recipients. It was doubtful Roland even knew that his letters were showing up in the book, in fact the book had confirmed that fact many times over, but writing them was obviously cathartic for the child.

            Many of Roland’s letters had described how much the little boy missed his family, but this was the first time he had declared his intention to return to the Land Without Magic. If what Henry had written after was to be believed, and Henry didn’t see any reason not to believe it, Roland had actually found a way back to this world and would be back soon; though the book was oddly silent on exactly when and where he would come through.

            “Henry,” Regina called his name and tapped on his bedroom door before peeking in with a smile, “Finish up, dear. All of the Charmings and Zelena will be here for dinner in about an hour and I need your help setting the table.”

            Henry nodded absently as he felt the urge to continue writing and his eyes widened imperceptibly at the words that were appearing on his page. He knew where Roland was going to come through and when. He straightened up and turned around to talk to his mother, but Regina was gone. Henry turned back to the book and read the lines he’d just written again. He had never written the future before, as the author his job was to record the stories, not create them. But the pen had poured out the words with no guidance from Henry and that meant something big was about to happen. Something that could only be uncovered if Henry followed what the book said, “ _Young Roland Locksley fell out of the fountain in front of the New York City Public Library and stared wide eyed in wonder at the sights around him. After a moment his gaze fell on a familiar figure and with a laugh he launched himself into Henry Mills’ arms, hugging him tightly as the older boy returned the hug. Roland was back and with his return he set in motion a series of events that even the gods never could have foreseen._ ”

            Henry had to go to New York and he had to go now.

* * *

 

**Part Two**

            Henry’s phone started ringing around the time he reached Portland and he ignored the call, wincing when it immediately began ringing again, but this time it was with a call from his other mother. He would have to call them back eventually, but not until he was on the express bus to New York City and there was no way for him to get off. He ignored 8 more calls from his mothers, grandparents, Hook, and even his Aunt Zelena as he purchased his bus ticket with the Credit Card he’d taken from his Dad’s room at Granny’s once his memories had been returned. There were twelve more calls by the time he’d settled into a seat at the back of the bus and finally called his mother back.

            “Henry Daniel Mills! Where the hell are you?” Regina’s angry, terrified voice answered and Henry gulped in fear of what his mother would do, make that mothers, he could hear Emma in the background and she seemed just as angry.

            “On a bus headed to pick up Roland from New York,” He mumbled and he heard his mother’s sharp intake of breath.

            She must have handed the phone over to Emma because his other mother spoke a moment later, “What the hell did you just tell her, kid? Because she looks like she’s both ready to kill you and like she’s just seen a ghost.”

            Henry repeated himself and winced as Emma yelled at him, “What the hell are you thinking, Henry? I thought we’d gone over this and you’d agreed not to run off again. Do you know how terrified we’ve been?”

            “I had to go, Mom,” Henry insisted, “The book said I was going to be there. I wrote it myself. I had to leave.”

            “Henry, the only way the book shows the future is if you choose what’s written and you know you can’t manipulate things like that.” Emma cautioned and then Regina’s voice sounded distantly as she spoke to Emma and then his blonde mother spoke, “Your mom wants to talk to you again.”

            “Henry, we’ll discuss you trying to manipulate the story once we get you home.” Regina sounded resigned, “But what did you mean about Roland?”

            “He’s been searching for a way to come back since he arrived in the Enchanted Forest, according to the book,” Henry explained,  “I don’t know why I’ve been writing about him even though I’m not there, but I have been. And today I wrote how he’d found a way back and that he was going to land in New York. I wrote that the first thing he would see was me. And I swear I didn’t choose what to write.”

            Regina sighed, “If Roland does in fact come through to this world, I want you to take him straight back to Robin’s apartment and stay there until your mother and I arrive to get you. Do you understand me?”

            “Yes ma’am,” Henry answered meekly, smiling broadly as he realized he may have gotten away with this, but his mother’s net words wiped the smile right off his face.

            “Oh, and Henry, you’re definitely grounded,” Henry groaned as he hung up the phone, but he didn’t really mind. If he could bring Roland back, it was worth being grounded. His mother’s smiles had been few and far between, and he knew Roland would do much to help heal her broken heart. So would the events that had been set in motion that afternoon, but Henry didn’t know that yet.

* * *

 

**Part Three**

            Henry hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed Roland until the younger boy had thrown himself into Henry’s arms at the fountain. He also hadn’t realized just how difficult it would be to keep a six-year-old occupied and happy in a tiny New York City apartment for an entire evening and a then night until his moms arrived. Luckily, Roland’s adventure traveling between worlds had worn him out and he fell asleep watching cartoons not long after they finished eating their pizza dinner.

            Henry should have been tired too, and he was, but he couldn’t sleep. There was a buzz in the back of his mind that he knew meant the pen wanted him to write something down. Normally that only happened when someone told him their story, but something was different about this. Not that being the Author was as cut-and-dry a position as the Apprentice had made it seem; since the pen was a living entity, it chose which stories to record and when. Now it seemed to desperately want to tell Robin’s story, though Henry wasn’t quite sure why just yet.

            Henry was so engrossed in writing down Robin’s story that when his mothers entered the apartment, shortly before two in the morning, he startled so hard that he banged his knee hard against the underside of the desk. Emma snorted as he winced and rubbed his knee, even Regina couldn’t hold back her grin completely as she came over to see what he was doing. Henry closed the book quickly, not wanted to cause his mother more pain, but when she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, he sighed, “I was writing Robin’s story down. I don’t know how, but I was. I only closed it so you don’t get upset.”

            “Henry,” Regina chided gently, “You can’t just write a story down for Robin because you want to write Robin’s story down any more than you can write the future or bring back the dead.”

            “Mom, I swear it’s not my choice,” Henry protested, rolling his eyes, obviously she didn’t believe him when he said he didn’t know how he was writing Robin’s story, “And I’m not trying to bring anyone back from the dead. I’m just doing what my job as the Author dictates: which is to tell the story the pen wants me to tell. Today that story seems to be Robin’s and Roland’s.”

            At the mention of the young boy’s name, Regina looked around until she spotted him sprawled out on the bed, his dark curls lying haphazardly on the pillow. She smiled softly, “He really came through.”

            “Yeah,” Henry nodded, “I really missed the little guy. He was so excited to see me and even more excited about the fact that he was going to see you again.”

            “How did he get through?” Regina asked, unable to tear her eyes away from him, “There’s no one with magic that would have been easily accessible to him there.”

            “I don’t know,” Henry shrugged, “the book didn’t say and he was too focused on getting to see you to tell me anything.”

            “Look, as much as I agree that we need to discuss whatever is going on with the pen,” Emma interjected, “We have  six-hour ride home tomorrow during which we can discuss this however long you want. But right now we all need to get to bed and get some sleep. I’ll take the couch and you guys can squeeze into bed with Roland. Unless you have any objections?”

            They didn’t. Henry’s body finally realized just how late it is and just what he’s done today, so he’s starting to fall asleep on his feet. Regina chuckled as she watched him begin to drift off and she led him over to the bed where he was asleep even before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

 

**Part Four**

            Regina tried to sleep, but her brain was racing and she desperately wanted to see what Henry had written about Robin. But she just as desperately didn’t. Her want to read it eventually won out and she climbed out of bed, silently padding over to where Henry’s book was left on the desk. Taking a deep breath she opened it and began to read. It shocked her just how much Henry knew about Robin, details she was sure only she knew about the man she’d loved and who had given his life for her. But it’s only when she saw that Henry had written a moment she knows was only between herself and Robin that she admits something larger than Henry is at work here.

            She and Robin had been sitting in the Underworld Library, waiting impatiently for Emma and Hook to return so they could leave, when Regina had confessed just how afraid she’d been that many of them would never leave the Underworld. Robin had stared at her for a moment before remarking, “ _Regina, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, especially in recent years, it’s that you have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story, and that the best we can hope for is that we live each day to the fullest and make our story a good one._ ” No one else had been anywhere near them when they’d had that discussion, which meant there had to be magic at work here.

            She turned to the next page hesitantly and read the description of Robin’s death, tears filling her eyes as she relived the moment her world had fallen apart. Regina had assumed that Robin’s story would end with his death, but it didn’t and Regina wasn’t sure she remembered how to breathe as the book slipped from her hands and felt to the floor with a loud clatter that caused Emma to sit up from her spot on the couch quickly.

            “Regina?” She asked in confusion after she had automatically scanned the apartment for any threat. When Regina didn’t answer, still shaking from the shock of what she’d just read. Emma got up and walked over to see if her friend was alright. Regina pointed to the floor and to the book which was somehow still open to the page Regina had been reading before she dropped it. Emma picked the book up and skimmed the page until she found the words which had shocked Regina. She stared at Regina for a moment before asking quietly, “Do you know what this means?”

            Regina read the words again, terrified they had somehow changed, though she knew by Emma’s reaction that they hadn’t. “ _What no one could have known was that Robin’s sacrifice had changed the very essence of how the crystal worked, if only for the moment as it stabbed the Outlaw._ ” The words were the same, but as she continued to stare at them uncomprehendingly, she was shocked to see that more words were beginning to appear without Henry or the pen.

            “ _Robin’s soul was not gone as everyone had been led to believe, it was merely lost. His sacrifice meant that if his soul could be retrieved, his life was no longer forfeit. The Outlaw’s story was far from over._ ”

* * *

 

**Part Five**

            Neither Emma nor Regina were able to sleep again that night. They alternated between staring at the newest addition to the book and studying every other word Henry had written in the book in the hope that they might possibly find some other hint as to where Robin’s soul might have gone. As the sun rose, a shuffling sound from the bedroom drew their attentions away from the book.

            Roland was standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes sleepily, but he had yet to notice that Regina was there. She called his name softly and the young boy looked up quickly, grinning widely as he ran across the room and flung himself into her arms, “Gina! I missed you!”

            Regina held the boy tightly, kissing the top of his unruly curls. Tears sprang to her eyes as she whispered to him, “I missed you too, Roland.” She held him tightly for a long time before loosening her grip and sitting him up so she could look him in the eye, “As happy as I am to see you, my darling boy, we need to discuss how you got here. And we also need to discuss how wrong it was for you to leave The Merry Men without telling them you were coming.”

            “How did you know I didn’t tell them?” Roland asked, staring wide-eyed at the only woman he could remember being his mother. He reached a hand up to play with the ends of her hair guiltily and Regina’s breath caught at the gesture. Henry used to do the same thing when he was younger and when Roland had returned to the Enchanted Forest, Regina had thought she’d never again have that.

            Clearing her throat she grinned down at the young boy and answered him, “My dear, I know everything.”

            She tapped his nose lightly and he giggled before his countenance turned serious, “Gina, are you going to make me go back to the Enchanted Forest? Please don’t make me go back, I want to stay with you.”

            “Roland, why don’t you want to go back?” Regina asked gently, carding her hands through his curls, smiling slightly at the admission that he wished to stay with her. “I won’t make you go back if you don’t want to go, but I want to know why.”

            Roland didn’t speak, looking down at her shirt as the hand not currently playing with her hair began to fiddle with her buttons. Regina let him avoid her gaze for only a moment before lifting his chin gently so she could look into his eyes, “Roland, you don’t have to be afraid to tell me anything. Why don’t you want to be in the Enchanted Forest with the Merry Men?”

            “Cause I missed you,” Roland said tearfully, “and all my family is here. I wanted to be with my family.”

            “Aren’t the Merry Men your family too?” Regina asked, wiping the boy’s tears away with her thumb. “If you stay here you’ll be leaving them behind.”

            “Yes, but…” Roland ducked his head and mumbled something Regina couldn’t quite catch into her chest. She hummed in question, hoping that he’d repeat himself and he looked up shyly, whispering, “None of them are my Mama like you are.”

            Regina pressed a kiss to Roland’s forehead, feeling a fierce love for the boy swell inside her, “Oh baby, don’t worry, I won’t send you back. I promise.”

            “And can I call you Mama?” Roland asked hopefully, “I need a Mama; especially since I don’t have a Papa anymore.”

            “Of course you can Roland,” Regina smiled, “I would love to be your Mama.”

            As Roland threw his arms around her neck, another line was added to the book, this time without anyone seeing it: “ _Robin’s greatest joy in life was in his family and with Regina’s acceptance of Roland as her son in name as well as heart; Robin’s soul was that much closer to being found._ ”

* * *

 

**Part Six**

            The rest of their morning was uneventful as they prepared to go back to Storybrooke. The book had been placed in Henry’s bag and no one brought up the strange things the book have been doing even though they knew once they returned home something would have to be figured out.

            Henry watched as Roland and his mother interacted, he’d heard Regina agree to be the other boy’s “Mama” and Henry had been kind of jealous. But now, watching the way his mother cared for Roland and the way the young boy adored her in return, Henry realized that she’d been Roland’s mother for much longer than just a few hours and it wasn’t fair to keep Regina to himself when Roland had lost his entire family in such a short time.

            As they made their way out of New York City, Roland chattered on and on in awe of the hustle and bustle around them. Roland’s chatter soon turned to his baby sister and how he couldn’t wait to see her again. Regina in turn told him how Robyn had grown and was beginning to sit up to play with her toys. Roland was in awe of these developments Regina was describing to him and he asked multiple questions about Robyn and the things she liked.

            Henry felt the buzzing in his brain urging him to pull out the book and write, though what he was supposed to write, he wasn’t sure. He ignored the urge though until Roland grew silent and drifted off to sleep. He gasped in shock when he opened the book, drawing Emma’s attention. She turned to look at him, asking him what was wrong. He turned the book to her so she could see it, whispering, “I didn’t write most of this.”

            Emma took the book from him and quickly read the two-and-a-half pages of new text, “Regina, this give us a way to find his soul and return him to his body.”

            Regina didn’t say anything for a long time, but Henry knew she was terrified to hope this was real and he wanted to reassure her. He whispered, “Mom, I don’t know if this is real or not. But the book is writing itself without me there to control the story, which has to mean something. The worst outcome is that we try this and have nothing happen. But if this succeeds, then you have Robin back. I don’t know who’s telling the story, but for once it seems like they’re on your side.”       

            Regina let out a shuddering breath and glanced back at Roland in her rearview mirror before nodding, “Okay, let’s try this. We can’t tell Roland, or anyone else, in case it fails, but I’m not going to let go of a chance to bring him back if I can.”

* * *

 

**Part Seven**

The spell was complicated and it took Regina and Emma almost two weeks to gather all the ingredients for Operation Lionheart without anyone finding out that they were up to something. And then they were forced to go to Rumplestilskin for the last ingredient. He almost immediately ascertained what they were up to and he cautioned them against it. He warned them that there was a price for what they were attempting, a steep one. But Regina didn’t care. She swore she would pay anything.

            She would come to regret that promise.

            They cast the spell, as instructed by the book, on an overcast day that happened to fall exactly six months since Robin had been taken from them. The spell required both Emma and Regina to cast it, the book actually named them personally, but neither of them thought anything of it until they realized that part of the spell required one of them to drink the potion and the other to monitor the spell to make sure nothing went awry.

            Regina insisted that she would take the potion, and Emma didn’t argue. She was all for helping Regina find Robin’s soul, but she wasn’t about to drink an unknown potion with unknown side effects. Henry had wanted to be there when the spell was cast; Regina and Emma had shut that idea down immediately. Instead, he and Roland were going to be spending the day with Snow and Charming. Regina had even asked Zelena to stop by so Roland could see his baby sister in the hopes that it would distract Roland from her absence, and Zelena had agreed.

            “Come on, Mom, please let me be there!” Henry had not taken his being sidelined well.

            “No, Henry,” Emma replied, rolling her eyes in frustration, “We’ve been over this already. Your mother and I agree that, since we don’t know anything about what this spell will do, you don’t need to be anywhere near the spell. Besides, we need you to help keep Roland occupied, okay?”

            “Fine,” Henry huffed, stomping off downstairs to play video games until his other mother and Roland arrived.

            Half-an-hour later, after Regina had arrived and given Snow a rather long list of instructions, Emma and Regina stood by the door ready to leave. Henry tried one last time to convince them to take him, but one glare from Regina stopped him in his tracks. With a sigh he hugged both of them and Roland followed suit.

            Neither woman spoke as they made their way to City Hall and set up the spell exactly as the book specified. As they waited for the potion to brew, Regina turned to Emma and asked quietly, “If something goes wrong, you’ll take care of the boys?”

            “Of course,” Emma replied, “But I’m sure nothing will go wrong.”

            Fifteen minutes later after Regina had taken the potion and was lying on the couch in her office fast asleep; when her parents called her panicked because the boys had disappeared; and when she found the boys a few minutes later lying unconscious on the ground outside the Mayor’s office door, she would regret that statement. Because Rumplestilskin was right, the price was steeper than they ever could have imagined.

* * *

 

**Part Eight**

            Regina didn’t know what she expected when she took the potion, but falling unconscious and waking in a large clearing in the middle of the forest was not it. She turned slowly, trying to figure out where she was and halfway through her rotation a familiar figure stopped her short. He was sitting on a log at the edge of the clearing with his back to her, but Regina would recognize his figure and sandy hair anywhere, even after six months.

            “Robin!” She exclaimed quietly in a soft exhale of breath as her feet began to carry her towards the man before her brain had even figured out what was going on.

            Her exclamation had barely been loud enough to reach her own ears, but somehow he heard her and he turned quickly, staring at her incredulously, “Regina, you’re here?”

            Regina nodded and he crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, pulling her into his arms. He breathed deeply as if he could inhale her and Regina blinked back tears, closing her eyes as she allowed him to hold her tightly. After a long moment, Regina pulled back to look at him. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought…”

            Robin stopped her train of thought as he captured her lips with his own. The kiss quickly turned passionate and would have gone indefinitely had the sound of a clearing throat hadn’t interrupted them.

            They both turned to see a petite woman with long blonde hair standing over on the other side of the clearing. She waved cheekily at them, a cheerful smile on her face, “Hello, sorry, don’t mean to interrupt, but we don’t have a lot of time before the potion wears off and you lose your chance Regina. So, we should probably get started.”

            “And who the hell are you?” Regina asked, turning completely to face the woman, still holding Robin’s hand behind her back.

            “Oh, sorry, of course neither of you would know who I am,” The woman giggled. “My name is Calliope, but you can call me Callie.”

            “And what are you doing here, Callie?” Regina recognized the name Calliope, but she couldn’t quite place how she knew it.

            Callie smiled, “My dear, I’m the one responsible for all of this. I’m the reason Robin’s soul hasn’t been obliterated.”

            “How is this your doing?” Robin asked.

            “Well, that’s a long story that I’m not willing to tell right now,” Callie replied, “You’ll just have to trust me in this and believe me when I say I’m on your side.”

            “You’ll forgive me if I don’t,” Regina shot back wryly, “nothing about this situation makes any sense and I wish to know how you’re behind all of this.”

            “I’m the one who gives the pen its powers,” Callie explained as if it was obvious, “I have the ability to return Robin’s soul to his body and his body to life again because of the rules of the book. That is, as long as you pass my test Regina.”

            “And how do I pass your test?” Regina asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

            “Easily,” Callie answered with a grin, “You have to tell me your story.”

* * *

 

**Part Nine**

            Regina stared at Callie unsure of what story the woman wanted her to tell. With a laugh, the woman clarified, “I want you to tell me everything about yourself in your own words. So, start at your earliest memory and tell me everything until you reach this moment.”

            Regina nodded slowly and began to speak, leaning back against Robin’s chest as she did he rubbed her arms in support. Regina told of her childhood, wincing as she recounted the way her mother had raised her. She spoke fondly of her father, of riding, and of her first meeting with Daniel. She felt her throat grow tight as she recalled her whirlwind romance with the Stable Boy she’d been in love with and the childish fantasy she’d held of getting to marry Daniel.

            As Regina began telling the part of the story where she’d rescued Snow before Snow had revealed her intentions to run off with Daniel, she realized with a jolt that thinking about Snow’s actions no longer made her steam with anger. She had finally, truly forgiven the Princess. She felt Robin’s grip on her tighten as she told how her mother had ripped out Daniel’s hear in front of her and she was beyond grateful that she had this chance to have Robin returned to her. Robin audibly growled as she spoke of her marriage to Leopold and she rubbed the back of his hand soothingly.

            Callie listened with rapt attention as Regina detailed her reign as the Evil Queen, her decision to cast the dark curse, and the monotony of her life under the curse for the first eighteen years. Regina wondered briefly if Callie was going to judge her for her past crimes and deem her unworthy of having her love returned to her, but she’d come too far to worry about that now, so she continued her story. She spoke fondly of her adoption of Henry and how her life had changed once she’d become a mother. She told of Emma arriving in Storybrooke; the curse breaking; her decision to try and redeem herself; saving Henry and the town from Pan; and her state of mind once she’d returned to the Enchanted Forest sans her son.

            Finally, turning to look at Robin, she told of how a common thief had stolen her heart and taught her to love again before being ripped from her life. As she finished her story, Robing reached a hand up to cup her cheek before capturing her lips in a heated kiss. Regina’s eyes fell closed and she moaned softly as Robin’s lips moved against hers. Time seemed to stop as they lost themselves to each other until they were interrupted.

            “Mama? Papa?” Roland’s voice caused them both to pull back from the kiss and they were surprised to see that they were still in the forest clearing along with Henry, Roland, and Callie. Roland’s eyes widened as he realized Robin was really standing with Regina and he took off like a shot across the clearing, yelling, “Papa!”

            Robin crouched down just in time to catch his son in his arms. Regina caught a glimpse of tears in Robin’s eyes as he hugged Roland tightly. She placed a hand on Roland’s back and hugged Henry, who had followed the younger boy across the clearing, as well. For a moment their family was almost complete. But Regina knew that all wasn’t as good as it seemed in that moment and she turned to Callie, who was watching them with an unreadable expression on her face, to ask, “Why are our sons here?”

            “It’s a part of the story,” Callie answered as if that was obvious, “Every story needs a good bit of angst.”

            “What do you mean?” Robin asked, hugging Roland closer to him, “What do we have to do?”

            “Unfortunately, this is only something that can be done by Regina. She is the one who drank the potion after all.” Callie shrugged sadly, “Regina, in order for Robin’s soul to be returned to earth, you must sacrifice the soul of one of your sons. And because you have begun the spell already, you must complete it. You must make a choice. So, who will you choose to remain here for all eternity: Henry or Roland?”

* * *

 

**Part Ten**

            Regina’s heart stopped and she felt Robin and Henry freeze beside her as Callie’s ultimatum sunk in. Rumplestilskin had been right, this spell had come with a price, and this price wasn’t one Regina was willing to pay, no matter what she’d sworn. But she wasn’t sure if she could get around paying it.

            Roland, who was too young to understand what was going on, sat up in Robin’s arms and asked his father seriously with a hopeful look on his face, “Are you going to come back home now, Papa?”

            Regina choked back a sob as Robin put Roland on the ground and crouched down so she could look into his son’s eyes, “No, Roland, I won’t be coming home with you. I have to stay here.”

            “Oh, you’ll be returning either way,” Callie called out as Roland’s face fell, “Regina just has to choose which one of your sons will take your place.”

            “And if I refuse to choose?” Regina asked, inhaling shakily, “If I choose to let Robin stay here like he wants to do so I won’t have to make this choice?”

            “Then when the potion wears off you’ll be returned to your body,” Callie explained, “but Robin’s soul and the souls of your sons will be stuck here forever.”    

            Regina wasn’t sure she knew how to breathe anymore and she barely felt the tears that had begun to fall as she considered the two equally dismal options she was now facing.

            “Mom, I’ll stay,” Henry insisted and Regina shook her head. Henry continued, “Look, I’m the Author and I can still record stories just as easily from here I think. Take Robin and Roland and go home.”

            “No,” Regina sobbed, sinking to the ground, her legs unable to hold her weight anymore, “I can’t lose you.”

            “Then you choose Roland?” Callie asked, “You would choose your happiness over Robin’s and leave his son behind?”

            “No!” Regina exclaimed, still sobbing. She couldn’t lose either of her sons. This was her payment for all the lives she’d taken as the Evil Queen, she knew it was. But it wasn’t a choice she could make. She felt a tingling sensation in her hands and she glanced at Callie in alarm, “What’s happening?”

            “It seems like your time here is running out,” Callie replied, “You must make your choice.”

            “I can’t,” Regina sobbed.

            “You must,” Callie insisted.

            “Please don’t make me choose,” Regina begged, standing shakily and pulling Henry close to her, holding him tightly, “Please give me another way.”

            “I cannot,” Callie sounded remorseful, “There is no other way.”

            Regina began to panic as the tingling spread like wildfire to every inch of her body. She clutched at Robin and her sons as she looked at Callie pleadingly, “Please let there be another way.”

            “There is not,” Callie declared again, “Now, you must choose.”

            “I can’t choose,” Regina sobbed as she felt her soul begin to fade from the clearing, “I can’t lose Robin and my sons. Please, let them all go. Take me instead.”

            A bright light filled the clearing as her body faded and light grew brighter until she had to close her eyes. And then everything went dark.

* * *

 

**Part Eleven**

            When Regina opened her eyes, she wasn’t back in City Hall like she’d expected to be, she was still in the clearing with Callie. Robin, Roland, and Henry were gone. Regina launched herself across the clearing and knocked Callie to the ground with a growl, a hand at the woman’s throat, “What did you do?”

            “I tested you,” Callie answered simply, disappearing from beneath Regina and appearing behind her, “I wanted to see what you would do when faced with an impossible choice. And you didn’t disappoint me. You chose to offer yourself as a sacrifice in place of those you love, something you never would have done as the Evil Queen. I just had to be sure you were willing to do the same thing for Robin that he was willing to do for you. He and your sons have been returned to their bodies and Robin’s body had been returned to its former state, alive.”

            “What do you mean by all of that?” Regina was confused by Callie’s explanation.

            “It means that I will be sending you home shortly to join them, “Callie smiled, the first genuine smile she’d given since appearing in the clearing, “It also means that I will do everything in my power to make sure that your story is one which ends happily. And trust me, my power is considerable. Now, enjoy your life Regina and don’t waste this second chance that you’ve been given.”

            Before Regina could respond, everything went black and when she opened her eyes again, she was lying on the sofa in her office with Henry, Emma, and Roland looking down at her worriedly. As she blinked, the boys embraced her excitedly and she held them tightly, aware of just how close she had come to losing them.

            “Did it work?” Emma asked and it took Regina a moment to realize that she meant the spell. Robin. He was back. Regina shot up quickly, intending to go out immediately to find him when the man in question burst into the room, looking around frantically.

            His eyes me hers and he raced across the room to pull her into his arms and kiss her soundly, “I thought…”

            “I know,” Regina smiled, tracing the  contours of his face almost disbelievingly, “but it was all just a test.”

            “A test for what?” Robin asked and Regina shook her head with a shrug, she hadn’t understood Callie’s ramblings.

            “I think I know,” Henry said from where his attention had been caught by the book and they turned to look at him, “I think she was making sure the two of you were worth the epic love story you’ve become a part of. And I think she wanted to make it clear to all of us that no matter what kind of story we’re a part of, we have absolutely no control over who lives, who dies, and who tells our stories.”

**The End**


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